A keen crafter on Instagram has shared a clever way to transform a mop head into a festive pumpkin decoration.
Now that autumn is right around the corner, with the temperatures dropping and the leaves starting to change colour, one money-savvy crafting influencer has decided to get into the spirit by turning a simple £1 mop from Poundland into a decorative pumpkin.
Anna-Marie Sorroll – who is based in Carmarthen and runs @thislittle_houseofmine on Instagram – shared the craft activity on the social media platform last week, and it’s caught the attention of dozens of others.
Talking fellow crafters through how to make the pumpkin in a short video, Anna-Marie explained that it couldn’t be simpler to recreate the hack as all you’ll need is a two-pack of mop heads from Poundland, a hair tie, a twig – the shorter and thicker the better – and 10 spare minutes to hand.
“I’ve done a quick tutorial of my mop head pumpkin – it’s just a quick one for you to get a rough idea of how to make it,” Anna-Marie explained to her over 9,000 followers.
ADVERTISEMENT
Anna-Marie Sorroll shared a video tutorial of the craft activity on Instagram last week / Credit: Instagram @thislittle_houseofmine
If you’re looking to have a go at making the pumpkin for yourself, then you’ll want to remember that the two-pack of mop heads from Poundland is an important purchase as his set includes the woollen mop head that features on-trend white and grey yarn, and although you could use any other type of mop head, this one doesn’t look too much like a cleaning product.
So, what are the steps for creating your own mop head pumpkin then?
ADVERTISEMENT
As Anna-Marie demonstrates in the video, you’ll first want to hold the mop head up, and tie your hair bobble around the end, ensuring any loose strands are held in, before splitting the middle part in half so it looks like a ring and then folding the head in on itself so the mop attachment and fly-away strands are hidden.
Then you’ll just need to tidy the strands up to make it look like as much of a pumpkin as possible, and add the twig into the top.
As well on her own Instagram account, Anna-Marie’s post on a Facebook crafting group has also amassed over 1,000 interactions too, and hundreds of comments pouring in like: “What a clever idea and so simple.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Another wrote: “My house is going to be full of mop head pumpkins”.
Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Hundreds of katsu curries are being given out for FREE in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of katsu curries are being dished up and given out for free in Manchester this week, but only for certain people.
And those lucky people will be students.
That’s right… a new semester is upon us, and thousands of freshers and returning students are descending on the city and Manchester‘s many universities for another year. But the life of a student isn’t exactly the cheapest sometimes, especially for those who haven’t had to live on a budget before moving out or into halls.
But to make things a little easier, Tampopo has announced it’ll be serving hundreds of one of its most popular dishes for free this week.
Tampopo is celebrating National Katsu Curry Day in the most delicious way possible, by giving away 700 Katsu Curries with rice for free, exclusively to freshers and students this Sunday (27 September).
Whether you’re brand new to the city, settling back into uni life, or you’re simply in need of a katsu fix, students can head to their nearest participating Tampopo and tuck into a hearty meal without needing to spend a penny.
100 katsu curries will be available each from 12-2pm at both Tampopo restaurants in Manchester city centre – which are on Albert Square, and in the Corn Exchange – or if you head over to the Trafford Centre, both the Tampopo there and the East Street sites are taking part.
“[Our] Katsu Curry has long been one of our most-loved dishes, so National Katsu Curry Day felt like the perfect excuse to give students a proper welcome to the new academic year,” Tampopo said in a statement.
So, are you feeling hungry then? The offer is exclusively available for takeaway only to freshers and students with a valid student ID, which they must present on collection.
100 portions are available at each participating location, and just one free katsu curry with rice will be available per person.
Emily Sergeant -
16th September 2021 
